Cheltenham Festival 2025: Cracker From Crambo Whets The Appetite For Festive Feast

Santa’s sleigh is packed up and ready to go, with fans preparing to tuck into a festive feast of racing action across 11 racecards on Boxing Day. But for the time being, let’s look back at some of the standout runners over the past seven days – starting with an excellent ride from Paul Townend at Naas on Monday.

LECKY WATSON got the better of Slade Steel in the Beginners Chase at Naas and the winner was excellent value for the success. Townend put the runner up’s jumping under pressure and he looked far from fluent while the victor looked much more natural on his first start over fences. He’s one to follow this season.

We saw a much improved SHUFFLE THE DECK in the maiden hurdle and he looks like he could be up to winning a Graded race at some point this campaign. Trainer Ted Walsh suggested that he could return to the track for the Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas in January and he’d not be out of place lining up in a race of that calibre.

BABY KATE, a listed bumper winner last season, got off the mark over hurdles but it was stablemate KAROLINE BANBOU who was the talking horse – both before and after the race. The runner up traded at 1.01 in running and looked like she’d come on for the run and I’d say she could turn out to be the best of the bunch in this field.

He was a very short price but DON’T MIND IF I DO shed his maiden tag over hurdles at the second opportunity on Tuesday and he could be a smart one to keep onside in the spring. He finished second to Regent’s Stroll in a lucrative bumper in March and he can enjoy a successful novice hurdling campaign in the coming months.

I’m still not over ROYSSE and his fall at the final hurdle at Newbury on Wednesday and it was a huge kick in the teeth for punters, with Ben Pauling’s mount looking the winner a long way from home. He’s a horse with a big reputation but that’s twice he has failed to get his head in front and he won’t be seeing my money again.

We saw a clash between two nice horses at Ludlow, with MEETMEBYTHESEA getting the better of THE KEMBLE BREWERY. The winner was receiving plenty of weight from Kim Bailey’s horse and you’d assume the form would be reversed off levels. Having said that, they are two lovely prospects and I’ll be keeping both onside.

WADE OUT justified his short price in the maiden hurdle at Lingfield, running out a clear winner in a trappy affair. He’s a nice prospect for Olly Murphy and he’s well on the way to recording the number of runs required for a novice to race in a Festival handicap. Watch out for him in the spring.

We saw another nice prospect in KAP OUEST at Exeter on Thursday but he won’t be one for Cheltenham as trainer Harry Fry suggested his big spring target will be at Sandown in March. He has some solid form in the book, tying in with the likes of Royal Infantry and Valgrand and he’s one to keep tabs on in case he does show up in March.

BELLIANO got off the mark over hurdles at the second opportunity on Friday and I was pretty impressed with the performance. The ground was quick enough for him and he showed immense battling qualities to fend off a nice enough rival in second. He’ll need to improve again to be a Graded horse but he’s heading in the right direction.

A poor round of jumping cost IBERICO LORD a chance of victory in the 2m1f novices’ handicap chase and outsider of the field HERE COMES GEORGIE picked up the pieces to win under jockey Lee Edwards. The favourite was disappointing and it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see him back over hurdles at some point...

MARK OF GOLD won the Grade 2 novices’ chase but the result barely tells the story of the race as PERSONAL AMBITION threw it away. Ben Jones pulled off an incredible sit to stay onboard but the damage was done and connections were left to rue what could have been. He remains a maiden after three chase starts but he’s clearly a very talented horse.

Did we see a Champion Bumper contender in WINDBENEATHMYWINGS? It looked a nice race on paper and this son of Free Eagle, formerly with Pat Flynn, bolted up to put 14 lengths between himself and the field. He’ll have to go straight to Cheltenham if he is to run at the Festival and it’ll be interesting to see if they go down that route.

I was really impressed with HOLLOWAY QUEEN in the Listed Mares Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday afternoon and she could now head for the Grade 2 Jane Seymour Mares Novices Hurdle at Sandown Park in February – a route followed by the likes of Love Envoi and You Wear It Well in recent years. She looks a smart one.

JUNGLE BOOGIE ran out a convincing winner in the Graduation Chase at Ascot and he is certainly talented. He jumped out to his left throughout the race but he has a massive engine and he can be a player in a Ryanair Chase. He ran well in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last year but didn’t quite stay the trip and 2m5f should be more up his street.

It was great to see CRAMBO defend his Long Walk Hurdle crown and Fergal O’Brien was very emotional in his post-race interview. He’s a talented operator on his day but things didn’t go right in the spring and it’ll be interesting to see if he can carry this sort of form into the coming months. If he can, he’s a player in the Stayers Hurdle division.

VICTTORINO was given a peach of a ride by Charlie Deutsch in the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase and the Venetia Williams yard is absolutely flying right now. The runner up, THE CHANGING MAN, lost little in defeat and he could be one for a nice handicap in the spring – something like the Ultima Handicap Chase may suit.

We saw a titanic battle in the finale at Ascot on Saturday as FIERCELY PROUD held off the late challenge of KABRAL DU MATHAN and both horses are fine prospects for the rest of the season. The second was running off a mark of 131 but would appear to have scope in that mark and he could be one for a race like the Betfair Hurdle down the line.

It’s easy to forget that FRERE D’ARMES was just half a length off Boothill a little over 12 months ago and I was thrilled to see him win at Fakenham on Sunday. It wasn’t a strong race by any means but he was running off 123 and he has a career high mark of 136 so there could be more to come if the handicapper is kind enough.